A senior member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region has revealed that the fertilizers seized by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Organizer, Joseph Yammin, during the “Operation Recover All Looted State Assets” initiative were not stolen government property but rather fertilizers intended for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s vote-buying campaign targeting farmers.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to Kumasi Mail, the outgoing District Chief Executive (DCE) stated, “I can say for a fact that these fertilizers are not Ministry of Agriculture fertilizers. They were meant for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign. We registered farmers, intending to distribute the fertilizers to them so they would vote for us. Unfortunately, the fertilizers didn’t arrive on time.”
The DCE explained that the delay in fertilizer delivery and bureaucratic hurdles, including requiring registered farmers to complete forms and provide Ghana Cards, made the distribution process cumbersome. “That’s why we couldn’t distribute the fertilizers to the farmers,” he added.
According to the source, after failing to distribute the fertilizers as planned, campaign leaders decided to share them among themselves. However, the large quantities posed storage challenges.
Party’s Silence on the Issue
When asked why the party has not issued an official statement on the matter, the DCE admitted, “As a party, we cannot defend this because the public believes that anything we hold as a party is government-sponsored. There’s no point in coming out to explain.”
The DCE went on to describe Dr. Bawumia’s campaign for the 2024 election as poorly executed, attributing its failures to inexperienced leadership. “The majority of the people leading the campaign were inexperienced. Our regional secretary was a joke, and I hope he does not seek re-election, along with the regional organizer,” he stated.
Internal NPP Dynamics
The DCE hinted at internal tensions within the party, indicating that significant changes could occur in the Ashanti Region leadership. He claimed that Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Mayor Samuel Pyne is preparing to challenge Odeneho Kwaku Appiah for the Ashanti Regional Chairmanship position, as the incumbent chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (popularly known as Chairman Wontumi), is expected to vie for the National Vice Chairman position.
While the DCE refrained from revealing further details about the alleged mishandling of the campaign, he promised to disclose more after the political dust settles. “I have a lot to say about the Ashanti and national campaign teams. At the moment, I’ll remain silent, but when I speak, I will let the public know how poorly our campaign was conducted,” he warned.
The revelations have sparked debate within political circles, with many questioning the ethical implications of using fertilizers for political purposes and the broader impact on the NPP’s campaign strategy.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
